Focus group invites sent to White Sox fans as part of Justin Isbhia's South Loop stadium proposal

Some White Sox fans received an interesting email on Friday afternoon.

The message invoked public reports of “future White Sox owner Justin Ishbia’s vision for a new, state-of-the-art ballpark,” and invited fans to RSVP for “a limited number of in-person focus group sessions” early next month to give feedback on “potential ballpark features, seating experiences, and overall game-day enhancements” for the proposed new stadium.

The emails also had a White Sox logo at the top, and all the legal language of an MLB-approved message at the bottom.

But despite the appearances, the Sox indicate they are just acting as mailmen. The focus groups are being held by Ishbia’s City River Holdings venture, which has been working to develop a mixed-use district in the South Loop with the proposed title of “The Railyards” that will house a new White Sox stadium. Rather than hand over customer contact info to a third party, the team is assisting by sending the emails themselves.

“When we announced the vision for The Railyards in September, we said this was the beginning of a multi-year planning and approval process, and this is part of that process,” a spokesperson for Ishbia explained in an email.

The feedback received from these groups could affect future stadium proposals, or be used to demonstrate the public support level for the project.

These invites hit the inboxes of Sox fans at the end of a week that brought word of Amtrak’s proposed new facility in Bridgeport undergoing a federal environmental review, after months of pressure from neighborhood residents. The proposal is a corresponding effort with Ishbia’s plans to develop the site of Amtrak’s current facility into the Sox’ future home. The team’s current lease with Bridgeport’s Rate Field runs through the 2029 season, which is also the first year that Ishbia’s ownership transfer agreement with current chairman Jerry Reinsdorf could see the former take control of the franchise.

Until then, all White Sox business is to remain under the current chairman’s purview. As such, it would have been surprising to see the club sending out official emails embracing Ishbia’s future plans. Instead, everyone involved says the Sox are just acting as the messenger.